THREE young cricket stars of the future are in the running for the Young Player of the Year Award at the HPH York Vale Cricket League's presentation ceremony.
A shortlist of three has been chosen by the selection panel from nine nominations with the winner to be revealed at the league’s annual awards dinner at the York Hilton on Saturday.
The trio are Thomas Brown, of Acomb, Charlie Buckley, who plays for Ovington II and III, and Jonty Gillingham, of Thixendale.
Off-spinner Brown, aged 13, took 31 wickets as Acomb won the third division title, while Ovington’s 15-year-old leg-spinner and batsman Buckley featured in three cup finals this season, and Gillingham skippered Thixendale to the division four title at the tender age of 16.
The other nominations were: last year’s winner seamer Alex Bindloss (aged 16, Bishopthorpe); Pocklington under-15s all-rounder George Baty; Ovington III wicketkeeper-batsman Tim Burgess, aged 14; Will Moll (aged 16, Clifton Alliance), who narrowly missed out on qualification for the division two bowling averages award; Will Osborne, aged 16, who scored a century in the Prendergast Memorial Cup final, and Thixendale bowler Guy Scothern, aged 13.
Meanwhile, Mike Stellings, North Cave’s top all-rounder, did a double by winning both the division one batting and bowling averages. To crown a great season for the champions, he will also pick up the Les Kirby Trophy for most wickets in a season.
Andrew Welford (Westow) won the division two batting award with an amazing average of 117.33, while his club captain Mark Earle’s haul of 1,137 runs sees him retain the Les Kirby Trophy batting award.
Les Fearn (Wheldrake) added the division two bowling award to the one he won in division three in 2014. His team-mate, Anthony Carter, won the Harry Smith Wicketkeeping Award with 27 victims.
In addition to the Young Player of the Year, award winners to be revealed on the night will be inductees into the Hall of Fame, the Club of the Year and the Club Tea of the Year.
2015 YORK VALE LEAGUE ROLL OF HONOUR
Division 1: North Cave
Division 2: Wheldrake
Division 3: Acomb
Division 4: Thixendale
HPH Cup: Ovington
Scothern Construction Cup: Bishopthorpe II
Prendergast Memorial Trophy: Ovington II
Mitchell Cup: Melbourne
Leading batting averages
Division 1: Mike Stellings (North Cave) 67.57
Division 2: Andrew Welford (Westow) 117.33
Division 3: Steve Lennox (Acomb) 65.60
Division 4: Matthew Bentley (Thorp Arch & Boston Spa) 63.12
Leading bowling averages
Division 1: Mike Stellings (North Cave) 9.54
Division 2: Les Fearn (Wheldrake) 16.80
Division 3: Thomas Brown (Acomb) 13.29
Division 4: John Kitson (Thorp Arch & Boston Spa) 10.75
Les Kirby Trophy (for most runs scored and most wickets taken): Mark Earle (Westow) 1,137 runs, Mike Stellings (North Cave) 49 wickets
Harry Smith Wicketkeeping Award: Anthony Carter (Wheldrake) 27 – 15 caught, 12 stumped
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